Communication with Teachers
Good communication between teachers and parents doesn't just happen. It requires special skills on your part — skills such as good listening techniques, tact, kindness, consideration, empathy, enthusiasm, and an understanding of parent-child relationships. But parent-teacher communication can also be hard, especially when parents feel uncomfortable in school, don't speak English well, or come from different cultural backgrounds than teachers. Fortunately, both parents and teachers have developed ways to make communication easier.

When a student’s grade(s) is of concern for a parent we ask that you follow these steps:

1. Talk with your child first. Ask them what the situation is with their grade(s).
2. Read the grading philosophy of the teacher. This may answer the question of why the student has received the grade or explain how the assignments add up to the current average. You can find each teachers grading philosophy at the top of the Class Score Detail pages (clicking on the students class average in the Grades and Attendance page will take you there).
3. Check to see if there is an assignment description. In the Class Score Detail page if the assignment is listed in blue it will have more information about the assignment. This may help you in understanding what was involved or expected for a particular assignment.
4. Check the date of the assignment. An assignment handed in late may receive deductions from its score. Also, as stated previously, early in the quarter, overall grades can fluctuate dramatically because of the lack of assignments in the grade book.
5. In trying to clarify a class average see if there are any missing or late assignments that could be affecting the overall grade average.

One of the best ways to ensure your child’s academic success is to open the lines of communication and get to know your child’s teachers. The process can begin at any time, but the earlier, the better. For example, when you enroll your child in school, ask if you can visit with the teachers to learn what you can do at home to facilitate your child’s entry into their classrooms. If you have recently transferred to a new school or when your child advances to a new grade level, a conversation with his or her teachers can open the door for positive future communication. Teachers want feedback from parents. So, make it a point to talk to your child’s teachers on a regular basis.

If a student wants to have good commumication with their teacher here are some tips on what to do:

• Respect the teacher
• Ask the teacher questions when ever you need help
• Go after class or during lunch to get to know your teacher more
• During class raise your hand when you wanna say something that way the teacher knows your a good student.
• If you trust the teacher let them know about your problems and they will give you advice on what to do.